Fracking has been one of the most prevalent policy topics inside the Statehouse. A new study follows the money to find out whether campaign contributions are driving the political agenda.

In the past two years, the oil and gas industry has contributed $1.8 million to Ohio elected officials, political candidates and political parties. Thatâ€™s according to a study conducted by Common Cause Ohio, a liberal-leaning advocacy group.

The group says this illustrates a powerful lobbying effort to impact policies for hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

But the industry doesnâ€™t represent the top spenders in the world of Ohio lobbying.

According to the annual report from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, that distinction goes to the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association and the Ohio Environmental Council.

So why the focus on fracking money?

Catherine Turcer, policy analyst with Common Cause, says that JLEC report may not be getting the full story because of a lack of financial disclosure requirements for lobbyists.

And while the beer and wine industry may appear to spend the most money, the most lobbied issue last year was oil and gas reform.

Turcer: â€œWeâ€™ve had such significant changes in the policies in the last few years. This industry has come in like a steamroller.â€

In the top 25 list of officials receiving the most contributions from the oil and gas industry, all but one were Republican. The #1 recipient is Republican Representative Dave Hall who chairs the House committee that oversees most of the oil- and gas-related bills. Rounding out the top three are Republican House Speaker Bill Batchelder and Governor John Kasich.

Common Cause says this money reflects power and access to lawmakers. But Tom Stewart, executive vice president with the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, says itâ€™s very simple: the industry supports policymakers who share their ideals.

Stewart: â€œYou mean somebody should be surprised that we support the campaigns of legislators whose philosophy and support of business is in line with ours. Why would somebody expect us to support somebody whoâ€™s opposed to it?â€

Common Cause insists their study reflects a needed change in state lobbying laws. The group is calling on more in-depth financial disclosures including lobbyist salaries. They say these records will make their intentions more transparent.

James Browning, regional director for Common Cause, says this information is especially important for former lawmakers turned lobbyists.

Browning: â€œIf a lawmaker leaves office then turns around and becomes a lobbyist for the natural gas industryâ€”and thereâ€™s nothing to stop them from doing that in Ohioâ€”and they start making a six-figure salaryâ€”we have no way of tracking that right now and no way of asking questions about what is going on here.â€

This is a stance Stewart adamantly opposes.

Stewart: â€œThatâ€™s ridiculous. They often want lobbyists to disclose the fees they chargeâ€”itâ€™s a businessâ€”theyâ€™re running a business. I would be very sympathetic to contract lobbyists who try to representâ€”respectfully represent their clients and then have to disclose the competitive ends of their business. Thatâ€™s simply not fair.â€

Stewart stands proud of the different facets of oil and gas uniting behind a common goal to support the policies they believe to be best for their industry.

As for Common Cause, they say Ohioans should have more access to follow the money and that requires what they call â€œsignificantâ€ legislative changes.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/09/20/study-shows-political-donations-to-fracking-interests/feed/0common cause,frackingFracking has been one of the most prevalent policy topics inside the Statehouse. A new study follows the money to find out whether campaign contributions are driving the political agenda.Fracking has been one of the most prevalent policy topics inside the Statehouse. A new study follows the money to find out whether campaign contributions are driving the political agenda.WOSU Newsno3:23Mandel Car Crash Raises Questions About Campaign Finance Lawshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/29/mandel-car-crash-raises-questions-about-campaign-finance-laws/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/29/mandel-car-crash-raises-questions-about-campaign-finance-laws/#commentsThu, 29 Aug 2013 11:30:58 +0000Karen Kaslerhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=57377

A car crash involving the Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel that was kept quiet until now is raising questions about campaign finance laws and his transportation.

A car crash involving the state treasurer that was kept quiet until now is raising questions about campaign finance laws and his transportation.

The crash involving Republican Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel happened in March of this year in Toledo, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.

The vehicle he was riding in was a 2004 Jeep Cherokee owned by his Senate campaign â€“ even though by March, the Senate campaign had been over four months.

A spokesperson says the treasurerâ€™s re-election campaign was renting the Jeep from the Senate campaign, but the AP reports that records show the rental check came after Mandel had used the Jeep for months and after the March crash.

â€œBad record keeping is a significant problem when it comes to campaign reports,” says Catherine Turcer from the government watchdog group Common Cause.

And we as voters need to have really good, specific information, and especially we want to have good record keeping from a treasurer or somebody whoâ€™s running for treasurer.

A delay in that rental payment could mean state and/or federal campaign finance law violations, because Senate campaign property canâ€™t be used for personal use or to campaign for a different office.

Mandelâ€™s campaign spokesperson says in an e-mailed statement that the treasurerâ€™s re-election campaign paid the Senate campaign in June for the rental for January and February and for the five days in March before the crash, in which the Jeep was totaled â€“ and that those payments were within the appropriate timeline.

The spokesperson adds that campaign finance experts say the rental agreement is legal, and that the treasurer doesnâ€™t use state-paid transportation when traveling. The spokesperson adds:

Treasurer Mandel is saving Ohioans thousands of dollars by not using a penny of taxpayer money. This is yet another example of Josh Mandel walking the walk as a fiscal conservative and leader with integrity.

Common Cause Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union, and several other voters' rights advocates are threatening legal action if state lawmakers continue an effort to appeal an elections law that's already up for possible repeal on the fall ballot.

Voting rights activists are once again threatening to sue if state lawmakers repeal an election law on this fallâ€™s ballot.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups began gathering signatures last year to put a repeal of House Bill 194 on the fall ballot.

Common Cause Ohioâ€™s Sam Gresham says lawmakers repealing the law ahead of the fall election would only confuse voters.

“Anything that they do right now is going to be thrown into a time period when the election starts. If they pass it in May, (it starts) 90 days after that. It’ll cause too much confusion in the election process,” Gresham says.

Gresham says it takes an average of two years for poll workers and voters to completely adapt to changes in voting laws, and he says any alterations in such a big election year would be confusing and unfair.

A repeal of the law thatâ€™s on this fallâ€™s ballot has passed the Senate, but no hearings have been scheduled in the House.